SNL and Fred Armisen Pay Tribute to David Bowie

The late, great David Bowie inspired countless artists of all stripes during his time on planet Earth. As a musician, an actor, a personality, and an encapsulation of all things odd, weird and wonderful, he touched countless lives…including former SNL star Fred Armisen, who returned to the stage during last night’s episode to pay homage to Bowie in the most appropriate way possible: by sharing a clip from his appearance on the show back in 1979.

To introduce the clip, Armisen shares a story about staying up late to watch Bowie’s performance when he was a kid and finding himself fascinated by the whole thing. And as the clip transitions into Bowie’s performance of “The Man Who Sold the World,” you can see why. It’s captivating on its own, but the combination of oddball stylization and utter sincerity on the part of Bowie and his band is utterly unique.

The clip above cuts the performance short, but as Armisen so helpfully tells us, the rest of his ’79 performances (with introductions by guest host Martin Sheen) are on NBC.com. And here they are: “The Man Who Sold the World,” “TVC-15" and “Boys Keep Swinging,” each of which showcases Bowie’s versatility and his penchant for putting on one helluva show.